Pneumatic member



Feb. 5, 1963 A. 1'. MOMANUS PNEUMATIC mm 2 Sheets-Shet 1 v Filed May 16, 1961 mVEN oR. AA 50v z NOVA/V06 BY M a. M

Feb. 5, 1963 Filed May 16, 1961 I u l 1 1 1 l I I I l l l l A. T. M MANUS PNEUMATIC MEMBER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ALBA-7P7 7.' N /VAA/Z/J Maw ATTORNEY United States Patent C) 3,076,564 PNEUMATIC MEMBER Albert T. McManus, Johnston, R.I., assignor to United States Rubber Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed May 16, 1961, Ser. No. 110,512 3 Claims. (Cl. 214-105) This invention relates to pneumatic members, and, more particularly, to pneumatic shorting members also known as dunnage bags.

Dunnage bags have particular utility in shoring articles within freight vehicles to prevent damage to the lading. Dunnage bags heretofore manufactured having an exterior flexible casing and an interior air-retention bladder have been subject to the limitation that when a bag is deflated and re-inflated in the field, the bladder may be folded or creased within the casing at the time of inflation. This folding prevents a portion of the bladder from becoming inflated and results in excess pressure on another portion of the bladder, causing the bladder to burst.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a new and improved pneumatic member which may be repetitively deflated and inflated.

It is another object of the invention to provide a new and improved pneumatic shoring member which may be repetitively deflated and inflated in which the bladder may be readily removed for repair in the event of damage due to abrasion or the like.

In accordance with the invention, a pneumatic member comprises an inflatable bladder having a valve therein and a flexible casing having an aperture for insertion of the bladder therein and having other apertures positioned near the extremities of the casing. The member also includes studs attached to the bladder near the extremities thereof and extending through the aforesaid other apertures of the casing. The member also includes locking means for the studs for maintaining the bladder in position within the casing upon deflations and inflations of the bladder.

Referring now to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a pneumatic shoring member constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the FIG. 1 member, taken along line 2-2 of FIG; 1;

'FIG. 3 is a sectional view to an enlarged scale of a stud utilized in the FIG. 1 member; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view to indicate the method of inserting the bladder in the casing.

Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a pneumatic member 10 constructed in accordance with the invention comprises a flexible casing 11 having an aperture 12 for insertion of an inflatable bladder 13 therein. The aperture 12 is closed by a flap having interlocking looped teeth through which a rod 12a is placed. The casing 11 preferably is a rubberized woven fabric and the bladder 13 preferably is an air-impervious butyl bag. The dunnage bag 10 may be of any suitable size, for example, 4 feet by feet by 2 feet when infiated.

The dunnage bag also includes stud means 14 attached to the bladder 13 near at least one extremity thereof and attached to a corresponding region of the casing 11 for maintaining the bladder in position within the casing upon deflations and inflations of the bladder. More particularly, as represented in FIGS. 1-3, the stud means comprises metal studs 15 having rubber bases 16 cemented to the bladder near the corners thereof and inserted through apertures in the casing and held in position by locking means which may be suitable flanged nuts 17 threaded on the studs. A suitable valve 18 is "ice attached to the bladder for inflating the bladder and is inserted through an aperture in the casing and locked thereto by a suitable nut for maintaining the casing in position near the other corner. Straps 20 are attached to the casing to serve as flexible handles.

As represented in FIG. 4, the bladder may be inserted through the aperture 12 by rolling the ends of the bladder toward the center thereof. The bladder may then be extended manually into proper position within the casing and the studs may be inserted through the apertures manually and locked in position prior to inflation of the bladder. If desired, the bladder may be manually extended into a flat position within the casing with the studs approximately in position prior to inflation, The bag may then be inflated to cause the studs to position themselves within the apertures of the casing automatically upon inflation. The nuts 17 may then be threaded on the studs 15.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that a pneumatic member constructed in accordance with the invention has the advantage that it may be deflated and re-inflated with the bladder maintained in position within the flexible casing so that the bladder has no tendency to rupture during the reinfiation. Such pneumatic members have utility as dunnage bags or may be constructed as collapsible containers for transporting fluids or the like. The studs are positioned near the corners of the bladder to prevent the corners from being folded over during deflation. Further, in the corners of the dunnage bag, the bag is more flexible while inflated, and, therefore, slight motion of the studs may occur during use of the bag without tearing the bag. Moreover, the rectangular weave of the fabric of the casing becomes diamond-shaped in the corners of the bag. Thus, the fabric in the corners is capable of moving slightly in response to stresse which tend to return the weave to a rectangular shape. This also minimizes any tendency of the casing or bladder to tear during use of the bag. Further, by removing the nuts on the studs, the bladder may be easily removed from the casing.

While there has been described what is at present believed to be the preferred embodiment of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and it is, therefore, aimed to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A pneumatic shoring member comprising: an infiatable bladder having a valve therein; a flexible casing having an aperture for insertion of said bladder therein and having other apertures positioned near the extremities of said casing; studs attached to said bladder near the extremities thereof and extending through said other apertures of said casing; and locking means for said studs for maintaining said bladder in position within said casing upon deflations and inflations of said bladder.

2. A pneumatic dunnage bag comprising: an inflatable bladder having an approximately rectangular periphery; a flexible casing having an approximately rectangular periphery and having an aperture for insertion of said bladder therein and having other apertures located at the corners of said casing; a valve in said bladder near a corner thereof and attached to the casing; rigid studs mounted on flexible bases and attached to said bladder near the corners thereof and extending through said other apertures of said casing; and locking means for the studs for maintaining said bladder in position within said casing upon deflations and inflations of said bladder.

3. A pneumatic shoring member comprising: an inflatable bladder having a valve therein; a flexible casing References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Daniels Dec, 29, 1925 Arens May 7, 1935 Dasey Oct. 21, 1958 Coe June 28, 1960 4- nan... 

1. A PNEUMATIC SHORING MEMBER COMPRISING: AN INFLATABLE BLADDER HAVING A VALVE THEREIN; A FLEXIBLE CASING HAVING AN APERTURE FOR INSERTION OF SAID BLADDER THEREIN AND HAVING OTHER APERTURES POSITIONED NEAR THE EXTREMITIES OF SAID CASING; STUDS ATTACHED TO SAID BLADDER NEAR THE EXTREMITIES THEREOF AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID OTHER APERTURES OF SAID CASING; AND LOCKING MEANS FOR SAID STUDS FOR MAINTAINING SAID BLADDER IN POSITION WITHIN SAID CASING UPON DEFLATIONS AND INFLATIONS OF SAID BLADDER. 